Solar Pool Heating Systems
Solar pool heating systems have begun to spring up in many warm weather climates over the last few years. One reason is that many of these locations, because of the amount of sun that they get throughout the year, are perfect for installing a solar based pool system.
Why Solar Pool Heating Systems Are Popular
The main benefit that pool owners look for when installing a solar pool system is to reduce their pool heating bills. Even in these warm climates, if the pool is used often during night time or in early morning when the weather is cooler, the heating annual bills can run into the thousands of dollars. And, for owners of hotels and resorts, whose pools service thousands of visitors a year, the cost can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
In a way, swimming pools are the perfect application for solar panels. Pools generally cover a wide area. Placing a series of panels over the swimming pool kills two birds with one stone. 1) It allows plenty of space to position solar panels, thus taking advantage of unused space. 2) it allows a certain amount of coverage over the pool to protect it from debris falling into the pool.
Installing a solar pool heating system is really one of the easiest solar power systems you can install. Many degrees simpler than installing a solar system on your home that will be used to heat the home. In fact, a solar pool system is so easy, that you and a friend could install a simple one in a day. Enersol.com has videos on its site that will actually take you through a typical installation of one of the solar pool systems.
Cost Factors of Pool Solar Heating
As far as cost goes, many states are actively encouraging their citizens to use solar power and will actually offer you tax incentives and write offs if you install solar pool heaters. The site solardirect.com lists some of the federal, state & utility rebates that are available for using solar technologies. The state of Oregon see Oregon solar pool systems, also has rebates in place for converting to or building with solar energy technologies. You can expect to see more and more states offering rebates such as these as the costs of energy continues to rise.
Of course, a key determination of the costs of your solar pool system will be the number of solar panels required to heat your pool. If you are working through a contractor, he will be able to provide you with good estimates based on the size of your pool. If you are buying directly from a manufacturer or distributor, they will typically have a cost estimating tool on their site that you can use. If doing it yourself, the key will be ensuring that you take all of the right pool measurements.
Living in a cold climate does not mean that you can’t make use of solar power. However, when installing a solar pool heater for a cold climate, you may need to install a second heat source. In the end, you will typically find that your overall pool heating costs have decreased.